September 5th - Airlines have been under attack for adding extra charges for baggage and seating. Is this fair?

They say “no” – all the charges are published and highlighted, and these are optional extras. If you’re prepared to travel with just a small bag and don’t mind where you sit on the plane, then the fare you see is the fare you pay.My view: it’s perfectly fair to charge people extra for the extra cost of providing services. In the UK easyJet started that in 1995 when they started charging 50p for a cup of tea. When charges for luggage started in 2006, the cost of checking in a suitcase was just a couple of pounds – reflecting the cost of handling. But now the prices are ridiculous. In a couple of weeks I’m flying from Newcastle to Dublin. The flight is £17 but if I want to bring a decent sized piece of cabin baggage on board, I will pay £20 – more than doubling the cost. Charges for seating people together are also disproportionate.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.